China 1: Empire of the Book
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through China from April 9— May 14, 2017. Volume 1. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017 Cover: Fan Qin Library; Background: Lotus Sutra
China 1: Empire of The Book April 9 — April 21, 2017 The Grolier Club’s 2017 Iter Sinicum tour to China not only offered us the opportunity to visit the birthplace of printing and papermaking, but it provided an incentive to continue our travels along the Silk Road. For nearly two weeks, we joined Don Cohn, writer, translator, and Sinophile for a tour focusing on early Chinese books, the people who collect them, and the institutions that maintain them. We then continued west, and for three more weeks, we followed the northern route of the Silk Road from Xian to Kashgar, visiting major sites, including the Buddhist caves at Yungang, Longmen, Mogao, Bezeklik and Kizil. In addition to the Municipalities of Shanghai and Beijing, we traveled through 9 provinces where we stayed overnight in 15 cities and on two trains. We visited fourteen UNESCO World Heritage Sites and four locations included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Traveling more than 13,500 kilometers within China, we experienced the immensity and diversity of this remarkable country.
Volume 1
Sunday and Monday, April 9-10 to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province The alarm went off at 5:00 am and we were in a taxi to the Thompson Center by 6:30. The Blue Line delivered us to O’Hare by 7:40. In spite of a chaotic scene around the kiosks for the new-printit-yourself baggage tags (yet another step towards making travel as tedious as possible) we cleared security and were ready to board United Airlines Flight 835 at 8:45. As we settled into our seats in the back third of the 777, we realized that our knees actually touched the seats in front of us. Yes, this would be a difficult 14 ½ hour flight. We had a window and a middle seat close to the rear toilets. I had promised myself that we would be sure and exercise during the flight, but it was pretty hard to move at all, much less do leg lifts. Most of the passengers appeared to be ethnic Chinese, with a smattering of European students. The flight provided two simple hot meals and two snacks, and we amused ourselves by watching the route map on the screens in front of our seats. The idea of watching a movie on an airplane makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. I’d rather watch the little plane icon making its way across the world. We flew north of Alaska and then turned south through Siberia, clipping the edge of North Korea as we headed towards the Chinese coast. For the 11,300 km of the trip, the cabin was kept dark and I managed to get a good deal of sleep, for which I was grateful. Not only was this an engaging way to pass the time, but, with a 13-hour time difference, I hoped it would enable me to adjust to China time more quickly.
The flight was on time, arriving just after 1:00 pm and we redeemed our bags and cleared customs in 45 minutes. When we exited to the arrivals hall, we were met by Mr. Jaio, who, with a long line of other drivers, was holding a sign with our names. He spoke no English, but hustled us out to his small, grey Nissan Geniss before we had an opportunity to get Chinese currency or a SIM card. We drove northwest 160 km along a modern 8-lane toll road to the ancient city of Suzhou, founded in 514 BC. The misty drizzle that greeted us on arrival soon became serious rain and the drive took a little more than 2½ hours. We passed scores of high-rise apartment complexes in various stages of completion; the Chinese building boom was in full evidence. Mr. Jaio had difficulty finding the Blossom Hill Inn, hidden deep within in the old city, but after a couple of wrong turns and a phone call, he stopped on a narrow side road where two employees of the Inn with red umbrellas met us. Jake paid Mr. Jaio and we trotted off behind the red umbrellas down a series of alleys. The moment we stepped into the Inn, presently with only eight rooms, the rest of the world fell away. What greeted us was the beautifully restored 400year-old house of the noble Pan Family, known as the “Unexampled Great Family Under Heaven,” according to a brochure in our large and beautifully appointed room. Our traditional suite exposed the slate roof and timber beam construction but contained all modern amenities. The house was restored and reopened as in inn three years ago and has received multiple design awards. The compound includes a series of ornately carved wooden halls, connected by gardens that only looked more evocative in the misty rain that continued to fall. As I peeked into the dining room, I saw two people sitting at a table. I tried not to disturb them but they called me over and introduced themselves. Traci, a young Chinese woman with a dazzling smile, is the hotel manager. Cuba lives in town and was waiting for some friends to join him for dinner. At their invitation, I sat down with them for a cup of tea, which quickly changed to baijiu when we got on the topic of that powerful Chinese spirit. I said that I had not tasted it, so Traci brought in a small pitcher and two tiny goblets. Cuba said, “Ganbi” and we downed our glasses in a single swallow. When I returned to the room, Jake noted that I’d not wasted any time. He was absolutely correct.
Through a window opened, We began to see the blue birds flying into the misty and hazy rain. At the corner there is still a rainbow umbrella, forgotten to be furled after the rain. The neighbors are airing their quilts in the sun. Here I am, looking blankly at my brush pen, falling a stroke on the sheet, totally unaware that by that instant, the blooming of a flower is far more important than our own happiness and grief. We come close to it with peace and pure beauty.
Tuesday, April 11
Suzhou
Our traditional breakfast at the hotel was exclusively Chinese, with noodles, sweet and savory steamed buns, corn on the cob, and rice congee; a hard-boiled egg and a small white sausage gave us a little protein. After breakfast, we set out to find an ATM that would accept our bank cards. For two hours, we wandered the streets of old Suzhou, attempting to find a Bank of China. We finally found the bank, adjacent to Guanqian Street in the historic center of town. After successfully securing some renminbi, we explored the centuries-old Taoist Xuanmiao Temple where we watched people leaving burnt offerings. I was drawn into the YT Silk Company by its window display of scarves with traditional Chinese designs. Suzhou has been justly famous for silk weaving for more than 4,000 years. Jake helped me choose a scarf that was designed after a brush painting of two birds.
Once we reached the main road, we hailed a taxi to take us to the Suzhou Museum. The extensive addition, designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, is a modern interpretation of a Suzhou garden, described in our guidebook as “a confluence of water, bamboo, and clinical geometry.” Inside, we perused the collections of jade, ceramics, textiles, and calligraphy arranged chronologically by China’s dynastic periods. We walked through the dark halls and overgrown courtyards of Suzhou’s old museum that stood in contrast to the modern addition.
Suzhou Museum
Next to the museum complex, we visited the Humble Administrator’s Garden, built in 1509 and the largest of Suzhou’s UNESCO-designated classical gardens. It was magnificent—and extremely popular. We joined throngs of Chinese tour groups, school children, and families armed with selfie sticks as we made our way along curving stone paths and over zigzagging bridges that led to a number of pavilions and tea houses. Exotic multi-hued flowers, hanging wisteria, and Japanese maples reflected in the still ponds. I wished selfishly that we could have had the place to ourselves. As we were still acclimating to the half-day time difference after our long journey, we decided to have an early supper at the Inn. We were the only diners and the menu was in Chinese. Using a translation app on my phone, I was able to scan the characters and see the translations in English. Although the dishes translated to things like Emperor’s Delight and Breast Balls, we ended up with barbequed ribs, squash, and noodles.
“The Suzhou classical gardens, an excellent heritage of Chinese traditional culture, are reputed to be ‘the freehand landscape gardens of the literati.’ In the gardens are numerous inscription banners, couplets, monumental steles, and famous works of art, which create a rich cultural milieu. As the owners built these gardens, they integrated into the furnishing and decoration the conventional Chinese concepts of philosophy, literature and arts, as well as the local Wu customs, so as to infuse the gardens with profound meaning.”
the Humble Administrator’s Garden a UNESCO site
Wednesday, April 12
Suzhou
After another breakfast of noodles and assorted dumplings, we learned that the completion of a six-room expansion of the inn required cutting electrical power to the entire complex and that we would have to move to a sister property across town in the Shantang area. At 9:30 am, a driver for the inn picked us up to take us to our new hotel. On the way, he asked if we’d like to visit the silk museum. He dropped us off at what turned out to be a sales outlet adjacent to the actual museum. At the entrance, we were shown workrooms where obsolete machines spun silkworm cocoons into fine silk threads. Several women demonstrated the silk production process. After the cocoons are boiled, they are rinsed and the strands are pulled together to form long threads of remarkable strength.
It was 11:00 am when the driver delivered us to the Blossom Inn Shantang. As our room was not yet available, we visited the Master of Nets Garden, another of Suzhou’s historic UNESCO gardens. This garden was on a much smaller scale than the Humble Administrator’s Garden and was far less crowded. Its uneven stone pathways guided us through traditional wooden pavilions and around a quiet pond. The garden invited contemplation. We enjoyed taking pictures of the flowering trees reflected in the still water.
the Master of Nets Garden a UNESCO site
After we returned to the hotel, we chatted with Yoyo, the manager, until our room was ready. Sadly, it was decidedly inferior to the grand suite we had for our first two nights. During the afternoon, we decided to take a boat tour along some of the many canals that ring and intersect the old town. Our small boat held only fourteen passengers. We enjoyed observing domestic scenes as we passed women washing clothes, laundry hanging out to dry, and men tending tiny plots of vegetables. As we cruised, a young woman sang for us and played the liuqin, a traditional stringed instrument. Disembarking, we joined the crowds strolling down Shantang Jia, a narrow street lined with crafts and silk shops, souvenir and toy booths, and an array of street food stalls. Motor scooters zoomed through the crowds, miraculously avoiding pedestrians (like me) who would unexpectedly veer one way or the other when something caught their eye. There were numerous Asian tour groups and selfie sticks were ubiquitous. Early in the evening, we returned to the area for dinner at Song-He-Lou, a popular restaurant for family dining. A large room in the back accommodated the steady stream of tour groups that flowed past our table. The din was disconcerting and everyone seemed to be yelling and racing about. Jake ordered an eel dish that was very unappealing to me and I tried to avert my eyes while I enjoyed my cauliflower. It was dark outside when we left, but glowing orange lanterns lined the street back to the hotel. After pausing to take some night photos of illuminated buildings reflected in the water, we returned to our room for the night.
I see you to Ku-su. Homes there, sleeping by the stream. Ancient palace, few abandoned spots. And by the harbor, many little bridges. In the night market, lotus, fruit and roots. On the spring barges, satins and gauze. Know, far off, the moon still watches. Think of me there, in the fisherman’s song. —Duxunhe
Thursday, April 13
to Shanghai
We awoke to the pleasant sound of birds chirping outside our window. It was a clear and brilliant morning. We had made arrangements through the hotel for a driver to take us to Shanghai and he met us promptly at 9:30 am for the two-hour drive. For the next five nights, we will be staying at the Radisson Blu New World, located on West Nanjing Road across from Shanghai’s People’s Park. I was pleased to find that our room had a separate office area where I could write. Busy Nanjing Road has been the main shopping district of Shanghai since the first department store in China opened there in the 1920s. Today, a portion of Nanjing Road has been transformed into a pedestrian walkway that retains many Art Deco structures of the thirties as well as modern glass and steel flagship stores.
We walked toward the Bund, occasionally getting swept up in the overflowing crowds. We were particularly interested in visiting the Fairmont Peace Hotel. Built by Sir Victor Sassoon, a Shanghai business tycoon, the hotel was completed in 1929 as the Cathay Hotel. At over 83 meters (272 feet) high, it was one of the first skyscrapers in the Eastern Hemisphere. Immediately after its completion, Sassoon’s landmark hotel became known as a glamorous playground for the elite and for extravagant gala events. Jake and I were fascinated with the hotel after reading Shanghai Grand by Terras Grescoe. When we stepped through the hotel doors, we were transported back to old Shanghai on the eve of World War II. The hotel was beautifully restored in 2010, and retains authentic Art Deco touches throughout. We sat in the Jasmine Lounge and ordered Sir Victor’s favorite Conte Verde cocktail, a mixture of gin, Cointreau, French vermouth, Crème de Menthe and lemon. We drank a toast to Sir Victor and to those grand old days.
the Bund, 1930s
After our cocktails, we continued our walk along the Bund. Symbolic of concessionera Shanghai, the Bund, or Wàitān, was the city’s Wall Street. The area along the Huangpu River was originally a towpath for dragging barges of rice, but was gradually transformed in the late twenties and thirties by the construction of banks and trading houses built in Art Deco and neoclassical styles. The hotels and shops along the street are high end, and many luxury brands have a presence. We strolled down the broad embankment overlooking the Huangpu and the futuristic Pudong district on the opposite shore. We encountered a half-dozen brides, posing with billowing skirts and veils, being photographed against the backdrop of Pudong’s Oriental Pearl Tower. Crossing the street, we briefly explored the park surrounding the former British Consulate and then stepped into the exquisite Peninsula Hotel. After a traffic-slowed taxi ride back to the Radisson, we decided on bed over bread and made it an early night.
Pudong
Friday, April 14
Shanghai
The hotel’s extensive western buffet was a welcome change from our previous Chinese breakfasts of noodles, dumplings, and rice congee. As we were descending in the elevator, we ran into Don Cohn, the leader of our Grolier tour that begins on Sunday. We had hoped to take an early morning cruise on the Huangpu River, but our taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong place. We finally located the correct address and bought tickets for the 11:00 am cruise. The day was warmer and hazier than it was yesterday, but the views from the river were still impressive and it was fun to be on the water among the barges and ferries.
After the cruise, we descended from the embankment at the 1907 Gutzlaff Signal Tower and crossed over to the west side of Zhongshan Road. Walking north, we went inside the Waldorf Astoria, a Baroque Revival structure built in 1911 that was once home to the Shanghai Club, one of the premier British men’s clubs in the city. The club was famous for the long bar in its cocktail lounge that measured over 34 meters. The bar was foolishly demolished in 1988 in order that KFC could open a fried chicken franchise in the space. When the building was renovated and reopened as the Waldorf Astoria in 2011, the bar was reconstructed. We had hoped to see its new incarnation, but were informed that the Long Bar Lounge did not open until 4:00. Instead, we walked north a kilometer to the Peninsula Hotel, taking pictures of doorways and architectural details of the heritage buildings along the way.
We returned to the embankment and took the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel tram to Pudong. The French-made tram runs under the river in less than three minutes and is accompanied by flashing lights and kitschy special effects. Once on the other side, we taxied to the Shanghai Tower, noting that with its proliferation of skyscrapers and modern architecture, Pudong resembles a fusion of Doha and Disney World. Until 2015, Shanghai Tower was the tallest building in the world. At 632 meters (2,073 feet) and 128 stories, it is now the second tallest (after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa) and still pretty remarkable. (Chicago’s Sears Tower is 1,706 feet high.) Equally impressive, the elevators travel at more than 64 kilometers per hour. Once we reached the observation level on the 123rd floor, we worked our way around the deck, enjoying views of the city disappearing into the distant haze.
By the time we crossed back under the river and returned to the Bund, it was after 3:00. We decided to walk back to the Waldorf Astoria and be at the Long Bar when it opened at 4:00. We spent an hour at the bar, enjoying classic cocktails and the atmosphere of 1930s Shanghai before taking a taxi to our hotel. Before going back to our room, we walked half a block further west to the Park Hotel, designed by Hungarian-Slovakian architect László Hudec in 1931 and the Cathay Hotel’s only serious rival. It was completed in 1934 and was the tallest building in Asia until 1958. We shared a sandwich and a couple of drinks there before returning to the Radisson.
Saturday, April 15
Shanghai
This morning we took a taxi to the Xintiandi area of the former French Concession. Established in the mid-nineteenth century, the concession was notoriously lawless and attracted various reprobates, gangsters and political activists. Xintiandi is a development comprising four square blocks of renovated and rebuilt shikumen, the old-style Chinese homes that had lined those streets in the early 20th century. Along narrow, shady pedestrian lanes, the three-story grey brick buildings, many with balconies, are now home to upscale shops and restaurants. We got the feel of
Across the street, we visited a shrine of Communist China, the site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. It was there that 15 representatives of the fledgling movement, including Mao Zedong, met on July 23, 1921 to discuss the formation of a national party. We joined a line of mostly young Chinese visitors to enter the adjacent museum. The museum was free but we encountered an extensive security and military presence, including a scan of our fingerprints. After exploring the narrow lanes of Xintiandi, we sat out under the trees at Cobra Lily, a bar and restaurant, and people-watched over cool drinks.
At 2:00, we taxied to the Shanghai Museum and spent a couple of hours going through each floor to get a sense of the collections. We were particularly drawn to the Chinese bronzes, dating from the 21st century BC, that demonstrate extraordinary artistic and technical skill. The bronzes are considered so significant that architect Xing Tonghe designed the museum in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel. We walked back to our hotel through People’s Park, descending to a sprawling underground Metro and shopping complex to avoid the busy intersection of Nanjing and Xizang Roads.
Shanghai Musuem
Shanghai Museum
Later, we walked around the corner to Huanghe Jie, one of the People’s Square food streets, where restaurants from dumpling take-out diners to proper white tablecloth establishments offer Chinese dining for every taste. After checking out several restaurants on both sides of the street, we settled on Tai Sheng Yuan. Other possibilities were either overcrowded or were suspiciously devoid of patrons. Making note of such menu specialties as Plug the Meat River and Eel of Burning Flesh, we over-ordered (as we often do) and stuffed ourselves with spicy beef, sweet and sour shrimp, and cauliflower hot pot. As we walked back to our room, the streets were crowded with Saturday night partiers and couples enjoying the cool evening breeze. The air was full of music from somewhere within the People’s Park.
Sunday, April 16
Shanghai
Today is Easter Sunday, the first day of the Grolier Club’s Iter Sinicum tour. The Grolier Club, of which I am a member, is a New York City bibliographic society founded in 1884. In addition to members from the New York City area, the 23 tour participants include a couple from Paris, a couple from Edinburgh, two individuals from London, one from Toronto, five from San Francisco, and the two of us. The group is led by Don Cohn, selfdescribed “writer, translator, book lover, and Bejingophile.” After studying Chinese at Oberlin College and Columbia, he lived and worked in China for many years and continues to make frequent trips there. Don is accompanied by his daughter, Libbie, who studies and works in Boston and is helping her father as a guide and facilitator. Our tour officially got underway at 9:00 when we met in the Radisson lobby. We boarded a large bus, and as we rode towards the Bund, Don gave us an introduction, welcoming us on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party and the Grolier Club. He explained that the word
bund comes from the Persian and Hindi and means embankment. The raised embankment portion of the Bund was built 20 years ago next to the Huangpu River to prevent flooding and to create a broad public area. He shared with us the challenges that China faces with its massive population. China and the United States have a comparable landmass, but China has five times as many people and only a quarter of the arable land of the United States. There are 150 million people in China who make less that $1.50 a day, but there are also more billionaires than in any other country. He commented that the Chinese are extremely superstitious, particularly about numbers. The numbers 3, 6, 8, and 9 are considered auspicious and they are often auctioned off for exorbitant amounts to people wanting lucky license plates. Our bus dropped us off at the north end of the Bund, across from the Peninsula Hotel, and we walked south until it started to rain. We ducked into the Peace Hotel briefly until the shower let up.
Don Cohn
After returning to the bus, we continued to the French Concession for a visit to the Propaganda Poster Art Center, located in the lower level of a large apartment block. Over the course of 20 years, collector Yang Pei Ming amassed a remarkable collection of more than 6,000 original posters from the 1950s to the 1970s, the golden age of Maoist poster production. Many of the colorful, fanciful creations were defiantly antiAmerican and although we were not allowed to take any pictures in the gallery, reproductions were available in the adjacent shop, along with tattered copies of Mao’s Little Red Book. In a separate room, Mr. Yang showed us his collection of Shanghai Lady advertising posters featuring stylized Chinese women of the thirties with come-hither looks.
Nearby, we shared an extended meal at Xian Yue Hien, a restaurant on the grounds of Dǐng Xiāng Garden. The British country-styled home and compound was originally built for the concubine of Li Hongzhang (1823 – 1901), a Chinese diplomat of the late Qing Dynasty known for his proWestern stance. We had hoped to take a walk in the gardens after lunch, but the gates were firmly locked; it is now reserved for leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.
Dǐng Xiāng Garden
It was after 2:00 when the bus dropped us off at the Shanghai Museum. We prevailed upon Don to give us an introduction to Chinese calligraphy. We learned that the earliest Chinese writing had been oracle bone inscriptions. A series of marks were made on an ox scapula or similar flat bone and then burned; the divinator would interpret the way that the bone cracked. Years later, when these incised pieces were excavated, they were thought to be dragon’s bones and were ground and eaten for medicinal purposes. In the 11th century BC, metal vessels that were used as ritual burial objects were often inscribed with auspicious text. The rubbings that were made of these inscriptions became the earliest examples of printing on paper. One calligraphic character may carry numerous meanings, making it a concise way to write. A single
character may consist of only one stroke, or may have as many as 45 elements. Chinese is not phonetic so that there are no fixed sounds; one character may be pronounced in several different ways. A person is considered to be well-educated if he knows 8,000 characters, but a knowledge of 3,000 characters is enough to read a newspaper. Don shared with us the enthusiasm he felt when he first realized that he was able to read a Chinese newspaper. He pointed out various characteristics evident in several manuscripts on display and described the elements of a colophon on a scroll. He explained the stamping of the red seals on scrolls by literati who may have owned or appreciated a particular work. It was nearly 4:00 when Jake and I walked back through the People’ Park.
Monday, April 17
Shanghai
Looking out of the window at the grey sky and smoggy haze, I was grateful that we had such nice weather when we were taking photographs of the Bund and Pudong. When we all gathered in the lobby at 8:30 am as scheduled, we found pouring rain and no bus. Due to a misunderstanding among our Chinese tour operators, the bus was nearly an hour late. By 9:45 we were on our way to the Shanghai Library.
The library, the second largest public library in China, was established in 1952; in 1995, it merged with the Shanghai Institute of Science and Technology. The present building was opened in 1996, and at 24 stories, is the tallest public library in the world. Climbing the steps to the main level, we were greeted by Zhou Quing of the library’s International Cooperation Division. He led us up the escalator to the Ancient Books area where a collection of printed books and calligraphic facsimiles were displayed in a series of cases. I was intrigued when I opened one of the drawers of the adjacent card catalog and found the cards neatly hand-written in Chinese characters. Mr. Zhou told us that the card catalog is maintained to serve the older patrons who might not be comfortable with digital technology. In the study room, several people were working on projects using the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasures). This anthology of Chinese literature was produced between 1773 and 1782 and consists of 79,000 chapters in 36,000 volumes. It is divided into four kù, or parts: Jīng (Classics), Shi (Histories), Zi (Masters), and Jí (Collections). The printed volumes filled all the shelves on one side of the room.
We talked to a professor from Hunan University who was correcting errors in a modern edition of an ancient text by comparing it with a facsimile of the original. Her iPhone lay nearby to help her with obscure characters, creating a little vignette of the ancient and the modern. Several other patrons were consulting scanned texts at computer stations. When asked if these materials might be accessed remotely, Mr. Zhou acknowledged that they are only available in the library. Our group had hoped to see original manuscripts, but we were informed that unfortunately this would not be possible. On another floor, a staff member demonstrated a series of 3-D printers in a public reading room and I noticed that most of the books shelved nearby were of the large coffee table variety and many were in English.
We had lunch at Du Xiao Yue, a Taiwanese restaurant on the fifth floor of a nearby mall. From there we went by bus to Bibliotheca Si Ka Wei, a Jesuit Library established in 1847. The librarian took us through two buildings that had once been a Jesuit college and publishing facility. He showed us the old library, divided into a Chinese area on the first floor and a Western language section on the second floor. Enlarged photos from the 1930s showed us that little had changed. I noticed that many of the books were in poor condition. A great number were wrapped in paper and tied with string, begging the question of accessibility. The librarian told us that the collection had been closed for nearly 50 years and that a third of the books had been taken to Taiwan by the Nationalists in the late 1940s. In the final room, display cases exhibited older materials,
many of which had been printed by the Jesuits. Unfortunately, the explanatory storyboards were in Chinese. After the bus brought us back to the hotel, Jake and I stopped Don in the lobby and asked him to recommend a brand of baijiu, the Chinese equivalent of vodka distilled from sorghum. We walked to a nearby liquor store but when we learned that the price of his recommendation was more than $130, we deferred. At 6:00, our Grolier group gathered for dinner at the traditional Meilong Zhen Restaurant. We sat at round tables and sampled a dozen interesting dishes. Don asked each of us to introduce ourselves, share our book interests, and say what we hoped to gain from our China trip. It was a convivial evening and, after only two days, we felt among friends.
St. Ignatius Jesuit Library Bibliotheca Si Ka Wei
Meilong Zhen Restaurant
Tuesday, April 18
to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province
We checked out of the Radisson at 8:30 am and boarded the bus for the 215 km drive to Ningbo, a major port city with a population of 7 million (in contrast to Shanghai’s 24 million). Before leaving the city, our driver stopped briefly at a registry to establish that he had not driven for more than four hours without a break. By 10:30, we were heading south on the G15 expressway. The road was excellent and the trip took us across a number of modern bridges, including a 35 km bridge over Hángzhōu Bay. We rode through lush, flat countryside that is the breadbasket of China. Clusters of high-rise apartment towers emerged every few kilometers. We stopped for lunch at a new and mostly empty mall north of Ningbo, where we ate at Lao An Dong, a beach-themed restaurant featuring canoe paddles and authentically rusty license plates from such places as “Wawaii, the Sunshine State.” It was after 2:00 when we arrived at Tian Yi Ge (literally "One Sky Pavilion"), the oldest existing library in China and a National Heritage Site. Founded in 1561 by Fan Qin, a government
official during the Ming Dynasty, the library has a collection of more than 70,000 volumes. Fan protected his books by determining that no one outside his own family would be admitted to his library, thus keeping his collection intact for more than 100 years. It was not until 1673 that Huang Zongxi, a Chinese philosopher and historian, became the first "outsider" to be allowed to visit Fan’s library. Today, thanks to government support and donations from private collectors, the collection has grown to about 300,000 volumes, primarily printed and hand-copied books from the Ming dynasty. Although the gardens adjacent to the historic library buildings were not as dramatic as those we had visited in Suzhou, their quiet serenity was a balm after our busy day. Checking in at our hotel was a challenge for our leaders, with their group of tired charges, a stack of passports to be processed, three huge carts of luggage, and a cantankerous musical duo performing in the lobby. Eventually, it all got sorted out and we disbursed to our rooms, to dinner, or to the lounge.
Fan Qin 1506-1585
Fan Qin Library
Ningbo
Wednesday, April 19
to Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province
After breakfast, we returned to our room to find that our bags were still outside the door where we had been instructed to leave them for the bellboy to take down. After carrying them down ourselves, we found that no one’s luggage had been collected. We learned later that the problem was that the hotel staff expected to be tipped in advance and therefore had been unwilling to collect any of our group’s bags. Once that transaction had taken place, we were on our way to the Ningbo Museum. Opened in 2008, the building was the creation of Chinese architect Wang Shu who was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012. His design was a conceptual combination of mountains and water and the façade is constructed of recycled materials such as old tiles and cement-covered bamboo from traditional homes. The museum has become a symbol of Ningbo’s history and culture and revealed the historical importance of its maritime trade. We found a fine collection of Chinese celadon ceramics and extensive exhibits of various mercantile activities.
Ningbo Museum
Back on the bus, we travelled for 280 km on the Taizhou Highway though Wenzhou to Rui’an County. En route, we had a brief lunch stop at a McDonalds where Jake had the Chinese Rice Bowl and I ordered a Happy Meal with cardboard nuggets and a Super Mario Scary Boo prize. We also tried an order of their newest offering of a poutine-like concoction of fries covered with Chinese barbecue sauce and Cheeze Whiz. The scenery we passed demonstrated the effort made to maximize arable land. Row upon row of plastic-covered greenhouses abutted terraced fields and rice paddies. However, urban areas continue to expand and encroach. We passed through more than 19 tunnels, some over five kilometers long. We crossed modern bridges over the Feiyun and Ou Rivers and encountered numerous road construction projects. Multi-building clusters of 20-25 story residential buildings—finished and unfinished—appeared every few kilometers on both sides of the road.
Rui’an County
a UNESCO Intangible Site
It was after 4:00 when we turned off the highway, 27 km south of Wenzhou, and followed a rural road to Dongyuan, a small village where traditional Chinese wooden movable-type printing still endures. First invented by Bi Sheng in the mid-ninth century, movable type is one of the world’s oldest printing techniques. However, the multiplicity of Chinese characters makes this type of printing particularly complex. Today, the artisans at the Dongyuan workshop are unique in their skills, which they use primarily to compile and print clan genealogies. The technique is so rare that in 2010, the artisans of Rui’an County were inscribed in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritages in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. However, the intensive training required, the low income generated, popularization of computer printing technology, and diminished enthusiasm for compiling genealogies have all contributed to a rapid decrease in the number of craftspeople. At present, only eleven people remain, all over the age of 50, who have mastered the entire set of type cutting and printing techniques. We entered a courtyard enclosed on four sides by low wooden buildings with traditional sloped roofs; a gentle rain was falling, which
added to the atmosphere of the place. After going through a small exhibit of printing artifacts, we watched as a printer interpreted each of our names as Chinese characters and placed small wooden type blocks into holes in a wood block illustration of our choice. He inked the block and made a rubbing onto a piece of red paper. Many of our group wanted to have their own rubbings and the printer patiently fulfilled our requests. In another room, we watched as Master Wang Chaohui braced a block of pear wood less than ¾ of an inch square in a vise and drew the outline of a character—in reverse— upon it. He then filled in the character with a brush, adding the proper thickness to each element. We watched with admiration as he carefully carved it into a single piece of type. The resulting print was flawless. Wang was amazing, not only for his talent but for keeping a steady hand as a dozen cameras pointed at him throughout the process. When asked how long it takes to complete a genealogy book, he estimated that six months would be the average time to make two copies; the family would pay about 1400 RMB a month for the work. Accordingly, such a six-month project would cost about US $1,200.
It was dusk by the time we began the drive back to Wenzhou, a city that produces a large percentage of the world’s shoes and clothing-related accessories such as zippers and buttons. Entering the city, our driver, relying on his GPS, turned down a narrow street. When he realized that there was not enough clearance for the bus to pass, he had to back up about 150 meters, skillfully avoiding a rush hour concentration of people, cars and other obstructions. Check-in was a breeze at the Shangri-La Hotel. An hour later, we met for dinner at the Miao Restaurant, featuring spicy dishes of the Miao/Hmong people.
Xiling Seal Art Society
Thursday, April 20
to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Our bus drove us 13 km from our hotel to the Wenzhou South Railway Station where, at 9:45 am, we boarded the train to Hangzhou, China’s fourth-largest city. The route took us north to Ningbo and then west, at speeds up to 250 km per hour. I could tell that the cars were pressurized as I could feel my ears pop as we stopped at each station. Jake noted how smooth the train was and how meticulously clean: at regular intervals women came down the aisle to mop the floor. We arrived at Hangzhou promptly at 12:40 pm after traveling over 580 km and went by bus into the impressive city center, rich with modern architecture. With a population of 21 million, Hangzhou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most prosperous cities in China and is known for its beautiful natural scenery,
particularly in the West Lake area. The lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history. The bus dropped us off in front of the heritage ShangriLa Hotel, near the traffic-free causeway to Gushan Island. We visited the Xiling Seal Art Society, located in a small, rocky garden near our hotel. The Society was founded in 1904 as an academic association devoted to learning and research. Predecessors of the Society date from the early 14th century when seal making flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. We had hoped to see the seal carvers but were disappointed to discover that their work season does not begin until May. We walked a short distance from the Society to the dock where the group boarded a boat for a late afternoon cruise on West Lake to Gushan Island.
Friday, April 21
to Nanjing, Jiangsu Province via Wuxi, Anhui Province
Don advised that we would have an early departure for the 270 km trip to Wuxi in Anhui Province where we were to visit the Xuan Paper Culture Park and its museum. Xuanzhi is a type of handmade paper that was originally produced during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is white, soft, and smooth and, due to its fine texture, is the paper of choice for Chinese calligraphy and painting. The paper-making process consists of more than 100 steps and its painstaking production has earned xuanzhi’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It was a four-hour bus ride to Wuxi. We drove a modern toll road, glimpsing tantalizing snippets of village life: steps disappearing up a hill to a cemetery; a man in a huge hat tilling his field; old men playing a board game at a low table. We passed flooded rice paddies adorned with new plantings. At 11:00 we pulled off the toll road and drove on a
series of narrow country roads to the Red Star Paper Company, one of fifteen xuanzhi facilities in the Jing County area. Our local guide led us through Red Star’s impressive museum, completed in 2015 and designed to resemble a stack of paper. Through an illustrated timeline, she explained the papermaking process, from the harvesting of the bark of the Blue Sandalwood tree to the packaging of the finished product. We walked through a series of rooms where uniformed workers demonstrated several of the steps involved in the traditional methods of production, including sorting and pounding the fibers, molding the slurry, and drying and cutting the finished paper. We learned that the workers do the same job for their entire careers. It is difficult and monotonous, involving repetitive movements and often constant contact with cold water.
Xuan Paper Center
a UNESCO Intangible Site Wuxi, Anhui
We departed at 1:00, pausing on a street in Jingxian to pick up boxed lunches to eat on the bus. The meal saved us needed time for our 170 km trip to Nanjing. It was 3:15 when we reached Nanjing and as we drove through the downtown, we were impressed at how vibrant and attractive it was. Nanjing was the nation’s capital during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and then again in the early 20th century. Located within great city walls, this city of more than 7 million has wide, tree-lined boulevards and traffic circles with bushes and plants beautifully sculptured into peacocks, fans, and flowers. Impressive buildings tower over the city center including Nanjing’s tallest, the 70 story InterContinental, where we are staying this evening. It was nearing 4:00 when we reached the Jinling Buddhism Publishing House. It lies hidden from the bustle of the city, nestled in a peaceful garden behind a high wall. Founded in 1866 by Buddhist scholar Yang Renshan (1837-1911), the house specializes in engraved Buddhist scrolls utilizing a
technique that can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618-907). This traditional way of publishing books has been included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. After hearing a short introduction about Yang Renshan, we were shown a sampling of the more than 120,000 carved wooden printing blocks that are kept at the center. We proceeded through a series of rooms where we watched as craftspeople carved blocks with both images and calligraphic characters, printed and folded pages, and gathered and sewed the pages into books. The speed and precision that they demonstrated was impressive but one could not help but ponder the human cost of repeating these tasks eight hours a day for thirty years or more. After making purchases in the printing shop, we were delivered to the InterContinential. We have a room on the 66th floor, necessitating a change of elevators en route. We had drinks at the bar on the 45th floor before joining our group for a two-block walk to Hongxing Szechuan Restaurant.
Yang Renshan
Jinling Buddhism Publishing House a UNESCO Intangible Site
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through China from April 9—May 14, 2017. Volume 1. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017
Volume 1